ROUGH WEATHER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 May 1928, Page 5

ROUGH WEATHER

HEAVY SWELL IN WELLINGTON

HARBOUR

f T!V TELEGRAPH— press association 1 WELLINGTON. May 1.

Last night a heavy easterly swell set in across Wellington harbour, and in a short while coastal vessels and harbour craft commenced to roll and pitch in a manner not witnessed in port during the past quarter of a century. Even the cruiser Diomede, lying at Queen wharf, rolled and tugged at her lines, while the smaller vessels in the vicinity danced about in an alarming fashion. The full for<e of the swell reached within two or. three feet of the wharf decking. The Harbour Board’s concrete mixing pontoon at Pipitea wharf was unable to sustain the heavy roiling, and eventually sank at her berth. Pilots and staff had a busy time until after eleven o’clock last night in attending to broken lines at various vessels and taking necessary steps to prevent damage where possible. HEAVY RAIN AT WHANGAREI. WHANGAREI, April 80. A violent easterly gale, accompanied by heavy rain, commenced early last evening and continues without moderation. The rainfall registered at Whangarei at 9 o’clock this morning was 2.4, and the fall registered at Kamo 4.12. Flats in that locality are flooded. POWER. LINES DOWN. PALMERSTON N., April 30. Damage of a fairly extensive nature is reported as a result of to-day’s-easterly gale. Power lines have been brought clown by fallen trees, the. telephone services interrupted, and sheds unroofed. The weather is much colder, with heavy rain and more threatening. DAMAGE AT AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, April 30. The storm continues without abatement. A large keel yacht was driven ashore at Narrow Neck and the crew swam ashore. The sailings of all coastal boats have been cancelled. The roofs of several houses were blown off.

The steamer West Eleajon, which arrived from San Pedro, is still anchored in the stream, as it is too rough to bring her alongside the wharf. The scow Pahiki sprang a leak and was beached, while several other scows had narrow escapes.